| Enemy
at the Gates (2001)
My Rating: *** Out of Five |
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Rated R for strong graphic war violence and some sexuality. Starring: Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins. Directed by Jean-Jacques
Annaud. Distributor: Paramount Pictures Release Date: March 16, 2001 Nationwide |
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| Synopsis |
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| While the Nazi and Russian armies hurl rank after rank of soldiers at each other and the world fearfully awaits the outcome of the battle of Stalingrad, the celebrated Russian sniper, Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law) quietly stalks his enemies one man at a time. His fame, however, soon thrusts him into a duel with the Nazi's best sharpshooter, Major Konig (Ed Harris), and the two find themselves waging an intense personal war while the most momentous battle of the age rages around them. | |||
Bill's Comments
This is a good war story about WW II that brings the war down to the level of a personal duel during the battle of Stalingrad. It's not clear to me whether there is any truth to the tale. At the end of the movie, they tell what supposedly happened to the characters after the war, but this could be just license.
It seems difficult to imagine that such a one-on-one duel could have been in progress in the midst of the hundreds of thousands of other combatants at that battle. However, it is our duty as moviegoers to suspend reality when we see a flick and just accept what is put in front of us for what it is worth.
As such, I enjoyed the movie and thought that it was well done. Jude Law and Ed Harris were very good as the principles in the duel. I now await the Memorial Day release of the new version of "Pearl Harbor". I can't imagine what that version will be able to add to the story that has been so often told before, but I'm sure I'll be there to see it.
